Poll Analysis on Opioids

In another of TCA’s series of deep-dives in to our latest poll, we wanted to look at our findings related to the opioid crisis.

This crisis has gotten the attention of federal, state, and local officials who have put forward task forces, panels, and numerous solutions to address the crisis (and rightly so).

Here in Tennessee, we are at the center of the opioid crisis as thousands of our state’s citizens have died over the last decade and the state’s death rate related to opioids has greatly increased during this time.

Analysis of our findings
24% of Tennesseans surveyed know someone who is struggling with opioid addiction, with 8% stating they would rather not say or are unsure.

Our findings indicate that voters with a personal connection to opioid addiction blame prescribers most for the crisis (46%), then the manufacturers (13%) local government (5%), pharmacies (3%), and distributors (1%).

Our findings indicate that the age group with the highest percentage of voters with a personal connection to opioid addiction are those under the age of 40 (38%) while the lowest was those over the age of 70 (14%)

There was no significant education or income gap as our findings indicate that those with a personal connection to opioid addiction were about the same across all income brackets and education levels. For example, 25% of those with less than a high school degree and 25% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had a personal connection to opioid addiction.

Across the state, west Tennessee saw the lowest rate of having a personal connection to opioid addiction of the three grand divisions (18%) and east Tennessee saw the highest (29%).

*TCA has not taken a public position to support or oppose any of the policies included in the survey.